National Pet Day

Today we are celebrating our pets and all that they do for us. Owning a pet can improve your mental and physical health. Not only that, but they increase our social life as well!

Mental health benefits:

• Helps manage loneliness

• Helps manage depression

• Gives us companionship

• Increases social support

• Boosts your mood

• Gives a stronger sense of identity

• Reduces negative perceptions of mental health conditions

• Gives a sense of routine

• Can provide distractions for people with mental health concerns relating to hearing voices, suicidal thoughts, and rumination

Physical health benefits:

• Gives us more exercise by walking them and playing with them

• Lowers our blood pressure

• Lowers cholesterol levels

• Lowers triglyceride levels

• Helps reduce Alzheimer's patients anxious outbursts

• Less signs of heart disease

• Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without